I Could Never Be Your Woman
by melloncollie00
Summary: AU. Peyton Sawyer has the brightest idea: getting back on her exhusband Lucas Scott using her newest bestfriend Brooke Davis. But what if love decides to intervene? Brucas.
1. Beginning of the End

**Disclaimer: **I could make a list of the things I own; unfortunately One Tree Hill won't be included.

**Prologue: **AU. Peyton Sawyer has the brightest idea: getting back on her ex-husband Lucas Scott using her newest best-friend Brooke Davis. But what if love decides to intervene? Brucas.

**Summary: **This is an alternate universe, ladies and gentlemen, including our brilliant trio Brooke Davis, Lucas Scott and Peyton Sawyer. Peyton is recently divorced from her husband Lucas Scott, who claims to get bored of the monotonic relationship they had. Feeling disappointed and miserable, she turns to her newest employee Brooke, and makes a plan: to remind Lucas how it feels to be in love and heartbroken. However, real life has other plans, and has no intention on giving up. Totally Brucas, but still beware! Some Leyton (damn it!) flashbacks can occur.

**Author's Note: **I think I've said well enough in the summary, this is a Brucas fiction and I'm very excited about this new one. I know I have other business to take care of, but don't worry, they will be here very soon. So, let me thank my friends -ezgore who came up with the brilliant idea, and xxCarminaxx who reminded me of the very beautiful song that influenced this fiction- and leave you with the newest story of mine.

Hope you'll read, like and review!!

**I Could Never Be Your Woman**

**Chapter 1: Beginning of the End**

"Key to a perfect relationship" the disturbingly soothing voice spoke through the speakers, "is like a pair of scales. In one, you put tolerance and respect; and in other, you mix love and friendship. If you're able to make a balance, there will be, I assure, no fights and breaking up."

"Yeah right" she murmured, while turning left, still having no idea why she had tuned to the channel earlier while there were many possibilities of discovering emo-bands who would be likely to make a cameo in the cover of her magazine. But no, as if dealing with divorce papers and lawyers weren't enough, Peyton Sawyer had to find a channel where a 40-year old- probably a virgin- woman was giving advices about relationships.

If only she had listened to her a little bit earlier, maybe things would have been different. Maybe, she would be coming from a love-making scene rather than a law court. Maybe Lucas would be kissing her goodbye rather than a farewell with a slim smile on the face. Maybe she would still be Peyton Sawyer-Scott, rather than the plain old Peyton Sawyer.

But no, it was the end of all. The beginning of something she always feared of. She was now, by two straight hours, a single, newly-divorced Peyton Sawyer, and she had started to miss him by now, she had this terrible urge to go back to Lucas's place and ask for a second chance, to tell him that she had always loved him.

Yet, Peyton knew, it wouldn't affect Lucas, even a bit. In the risky process of marriage, somewhere along time, he had lost what Peyton tried to protect for so long. He had lost his way, his courage and most of all, his excitement to take the journey with her. He had lost his love, and that's why, there were divorce papers hanging out from her file, and she was returning from the court, officially claiming that she had nothing to do with him anymore.

Lucas Scott and Peyton Sawyer were officially divorced.

"Jackson is on the second line, Kayla is waiting for that "box-office-tips" and remember the interviews you're going to make." Gigi Silveri, her secretary, said in a rush, holding a file that reminded Peyton of his attorney. God, she was a bitch, talking unceasingly about annulments and allowances, as if breaking up was not hard enough. "This is the file that contains various CV's."

Gigi handed her the file and a cup of white chocolate mocca with an extra shot of Peppermint (just like he liked to drink early in the day, before sitting in front of his monitor to type his whatevers that Peyton never took time to read) and led her to the office she decorated all in black and red.

"Send me the interns, Gigi" Peyton said in a determined voice, trying to clear her mind from the hazy blurs of memories that included a one particular blond that used to be her husband…once. "And tell Kayla that Mason has that list"

She sat on her chair and waited for the interns to show up, her magazine (Punk & Disorderly as Lucas had offered) needed a fashion-editor, and unlike the things she had lost today, Peyton Sawyer was going to find one to win.

After three straight hours, four cups of mocca that started to lost its flavor and five interns who definitely had no idea about "punk" (one has asked whether if it was a new brand of Prada, and the other believed that the biggest punk leader was Justin Timberlake), her definition of a disastrous day had evolved to a wider process.

_I wonder what Lucas is doing right now_.

He was probably pressing her long fingers to the keyboard, finding word combinations to describe his inner voices. Sometimes, when he paused for a minute to listen to the silence, his hands would rub his long, blond hair and his dreamy blue eyes would narrow with concentration.

"Can I come in?"

Peyton was awakened by the voice of another intern (please god, let this nightmare end) smiling politely and waiting for a response. She slowly nodded her head and showed her where to sit (just across the table so that she could easily observe her body language.)

"Brooke Penelope Davis, I assume?" Peyton asked, putting a little joy and overdosed professionalism in her voice, her eyes peeking through the cv that included many work experiences and a bright academic career. "Very nice" she murmured as she read the words. "Clothes over Bro's…That's a very successful business."

"Yes, miss. The brand managed to challenge Abercrombie and Sketchers in a really short time."

Peyton nodded in agreement, as a close observer of teenage-society, she knew how successful the brand managed to get in a few years. Yet, she had no idea, why someone "girly" as Brooke Davis wanted to work in a punk-o-factory?

"Let me ask you a question, Brooke, why this? I mean, your style seems a lot more different from what we offer, and you could be a star in girly girls' lives."

Brooke smiled genuinely, revealing two little dimples at each side of her lips.

"You see, in my "girly-girl" style- there is always an end…I've tried many things, many different styles, combinations but after some time- it was just me and the lack of my creativity. Then I started to research and I found "punk". It was much more different from what I've been dealing with- much more anarchic, but how people combined two ultimately different things to form fashion astonished me. It was the pure definition of what I needed: Imagination. Besides, I really want to learn how I will do in an area like that." Brooke said, smiling, confidence crystal clear in her tone.

"So you'll be experimenting with us?" Peyton asked, kinking her eyebrow.

"Well, I guess, but aren't everything we try to do in life experiments?"

Peyton contacted their eyes for a minute, and it suddenly felt like Brooke could feel how miserable she felt right now. Brooke could be the best friend she longed for years and tried to cover by Lucas's presence. She could be the one to comfort her with ice-cream and chick flicks and arrange her blind dates with a high possibility of chaotic matches.

Still, professionalism was more important than her needs.

"Thank you Miss Davis, we will call you."

Her hands, automatically pressed the buttons to dial his number, and she couldn't help but shiver- it strangely felt like the first time they had kissed, with sudden excitement and a fear of being inexperienced, Peyton's hands had moved behind his back robotically. Lucas had hugged her tightly and she felt like he would always be near.

Yeah, right.

The phone beeped for a single minute and the stolid voice of the machinery went active.

"Hi, this is Lucas Scott; please leave a message after the beep."

The image of him, dancing intimately with girls in a bar, or "getting it on" with a blonde bimbo on the white mattress of their (now, officially just Lucas's) major double-sized bed scolded her like a nightmare.

_God, has he moved on already?_

"Umm…hey Luke, it's Peyton here." She managed to say between all the paranoia dominating her vision, "I was just wondering…well…I couldn't find my NOFX CD's….you have them? I'd appreciate if you can stop by….and give…my cds."

It was the stupidest idea, of course, and Lucas wasn't dump- he would surely get the hidden intention behind desiring the long-forgotten cd's- Peyton felt like she couldn't be more embarrassed in her life. Facing Dan Scott in the middle of their wedding was a cause of blushing, her first internship in the Thud was another- but her face hadn't been as red as it was now.

She needed a drink; she needed a shoulder to cry on.

She needed Lucas.

Her hands moved to the mobile phone once more, and this time a much friendlier voice than the simple machine greeted her.

"Brooke here"

"Hey, it's Peyton…Sawyer. I guess the job is yours."

**A/N: **Is it just me or the first chapters are really boring? I really missed writing Brucas here, and all those little memories Peyton thought about Leyton…well let me say, I didn't puke as much as I thought I would, lol

So I promise, from now on we'll be introduced to Peyton's new plan- that means pure passionate Brucas…

And yeah, you must review!


	2. The Plot to Avenge

**Disclaimer:** Mark, if you're reading this, can I own One Tree Hill? Please?

**Authors Note:** Sometimes it seems like the whole world is against my fictions- especially those teachers who have no idea about Brucas and keep stuffing me with homework and presentations and assignments and midterms and everything! That's why I can't update as soon as I want to- and those economic applications totally suck my inspiration up! Adam Smith should have watched some One Tree Hill, lol.

So for the ones who are still patient for this update- this goes out for you!

Hope you enjoy- reviews are fully and kindly appreciated.

**I Could Never Be Your Woman**

**Chapter 2: The Plot to Avenge**

She closed her folder full of the sketches of the newest designs, hippest trends and the photo samples of the model who had been nothing but a Paris Hilton over her through the whole shoot. ("There is no way I'm wearing that scratchy thing!" she had shouted in an ear splitting tone and wanted to meet Lindsay Lohan as soon as possible) Brooke's footsteps were echoing in the nearly-empty building; there were only a few people around, trying to get the newest edition of Punk & Disorderly before Los Angeles welcomed the upcoming day. The concrete silence of responsibility and concentration was solid in the humid air, yet Brooke Davis was grinning like a Chesire cat- her monthly work was already done and polished with glamorous package, and now she had every right to enjoy a drink at the closest after-work bar in Los Angeles with her newest friend.

The polyphonic sound of her cellular phone revealed the number combinations that belonged to the woman who had been accompanying her intimately from the very first time the door opened for him at this building.

"Where are you?" Peyton shouted, her voice dominated by the chaos of sounds in the background.

"I've just finished my part on the magazine." Brooke said cheerily, as the open doors of the elevator led her to the outer world of everything but work.

"Your boss is such a bitch" Peyton giggled, straight vodka on the rocks had probably started to make an effect. "Now get your ass up and come here!"

"The blonde man there is totally checking on you!" Brooke mused, taking a shot from her tequila. She peeked back to the table occupied by a middle-aged man who was clearly interested in the image of Peyton… well, at least, her ass.

Peyton, on the other hand, didn't even bother to look back.

"Whatever" she said apathetically, shrugging her shoulders.

"Come on Pey, you gotta move on sometime." Brooke whined. Since the first night at Bar-coholic, ("I'm a mess, you wanna grab a beer or something?" the really professional and robotic-looking responsible boss of hers had asked to a fun-seeking Brooke), Peyton has always been brooding; neither Brooke's funny comments about desperate women trying to hook up with men nor her deemed-to-be-failed attempts to match Peyton with a regular could keep her mind off from her ex-husband. It felt like that Lucas Scott guy (whom Brooke totally hated for the damage he caused on Peyton) was always there with them, whispering some unknowns to her ear so that Peyton would never forget him and move on to a better life.

"Come on Peyton, cheer up a bit, will ya?" Brooke stroked her back. "He is not worth it."

Peyton sighed deeply, surely, as a glamorous-hot-brunette Brooke Davis had no idea about what she had been dealing with for so long. Brooke, with his infinite joy and a wide range of experience with men had no idea what it felt like to be left alone by the one and only love of her life.

"I really loved him, you know?" Peyton said. "It felt like, finally, somebody could rescue me. Somebody could give answers even before I asked the questions. And he knew it. He knew how much I loved him and needed him to be near." She blinked back tears, although it had been a month since they were divorced, she was still having difficulties sleeping alone in a double-sized bed, waking up to a home abandoned by his usual keyboard clicks whereas her ass of an ex-husband was hooking up with girls and having the time of his life.

"I know, honey" Brooke said, hearing Lucas-themed-whines was terribly boring, but she intuitionally felt the need to be near for the woman who helped her a lot in her rookie-period in Los Angeles. "But is he really worth crying that much? For a guy who doesn't appreciate your effort and your love, isn't what you do too much?"

Peyton shrugged her shoulders and took a shot of vodka only to be filled by the bartender who had disturbingly worried eyes.

"Hey" he said blinking to Brooke "Your friend is not in a good mood."

"Yeah" Brooke forced back a smile; she hated posing people trying to get conversations out of miserable facts. "Peyton, why don't we move to the tables, huh?" she asked, pushing the brooding blonde to an empty table that seemed very far away from that stupid bartender who only seemed interested just because exposal of overdosed pain could lead to more alcohol consumption. God, she hated insincere people, she hated people who tried to show a different version of themselves just for personal interests. She hated those god damn stupid weirdos who said they loved you but instead fucked a mini Paris Hilton behind your back and told the same exact fluffs that once slid through your ears. She hated…

"Holy Shit!" Peyton cried, waking Brooke up from the disordered thoughts of hatred. She tried to cover her face with her curly hair and tried to look as ordinary as possible, but Peyton's desperate camouflage attempts were only turning a lot more eyes and a brief spotlight on her.

"What is going on, Peyt?" Brooke asked, looking around. People were dancing, some were drinking, a large amount of people were talking- the most clichéd bar scene had nothing unusual in it. OK, nobody had hit on Brooke yet, but she was aware that the dark guy leaning on the wall had been checking her a lot.

"Hush, don't shout!" Peyton said, trying to get a clearer vision of the bar behind her curls, "Lucas is here." She whispered.

"What? How? Where?" Brooke screamed, catching up a little more attention. She looked around maniacally; trying to catch the sight of the notorious man that had been bugging her nights lately, but nobody around seemed to look like a little dirty bug who was craving to be squeezed to death in Peyton's hands.

"Don't look now, but he is the blonde guy…dancing with that… ginger with a red dress over there" Peyton's voice dropped, disappointment and misery replacing her enthusiasm. Here she was, after a month, still thinking about him, still wondering if there was any chance the famous Leyton of Tree Hill High could get back together; and there he was- dancing with a skank, already forgotten who Peyton was and what she mattered to him once.

Brooke turned around to a very intimately looking couple swaying on the dancefloor. She couldn't see Lucas, since his face was buried deep on his partner's shoulders, carefully peeking at the cheap silicones, his hands rubbing her thighs carefully and passionately.

"Wow, that's one son of a bitch" Brooke whined, at times she had thought that maybe that Lucas guy was in the same condition as Peyton's, whining and moaning and brooding about his ex-wife to a complete stranger and not caring about anything else… a bit. But apparently, his hormones were controlling his life, not love or respect.

She looked at a crying Peyton, trying to rub the uncontrolled flow of tears from her eyes. She was sniffing lightly and trying to smile as if she didn't care anymore, yet Brooke knew that that was the exact time her heart got broken. It wasn't when Lucas offered a divorce, or when they had this big argument about something Brooke couldn't remember- Peyton's heart got broken when she saw him there, dancing with a cheap-whore, touching her with an attitude that was never around when Peyton was still a Scott.

And Brooke knew, whenever a heart was broken to pieces, revenge became ready to be baked in the heating anger.

"No fuckin' way!" Brooke shouted, her eyes widened with surprise. She was aware that Peyton's feelings had now, evolved to a more complicated mood of anger and disappointment which generally resulted in a decent plan of revenge, but Brooke never thought that she could be a heroine in the fiction Peyton was about to create.

"It's the brightest idea ever!" she laughed, like a Satan who had just conquered another innocent soul. "Just think about it!"

Brooke started to pace up and down in the guest room of Peyton who invited her to stay at her miniature mansion ("God, I knew there was a lot of money in that magazine business!" Brooke had mused when she first saw the place Peyton was living in) to calm her down a little with a perfect plan of avenge. And now, after two cups of ice-creams and a chick-flick involving Kate Hudson (as always), Peyton had become the Satan herself.

"This plan is perfect- it's just…why do I have to be in it?" Brooke lifted her eyebrows, trying to make a puppy-face so that Peyton would think of a more decent candidate to seduce Lucas Scott, make him fall in love with her and then dump him without hesitation. Basically, just like the same process once Peyton Sawyer had been in.

"Are you kidding? You are a walking goddess, for Christ's sake! You are beautiful and smart- he will go nuts for you in a second! Besides, you are the only one I can trust right now." Peyton looked at her, begging.

"I just, don't know Peyt. Wouldn't it be a little….hypocritical?" Brooke longed for the brooding woman- at least she was quiet and calm.

"What the hell are you talking about, woman?" Peyton bamboozled instantly, fire burning the green in her eyes. "He is the one going behind my back, he is the disrespectful arrogant bastard fucking around with cheap whores and you're telling me I'm the one who is hypocritical!!!!"

"OK! Fine!" Brooke snapped, she knew she had no other choice.

"Nathan, you should pick up James this afternoon, his teacher wants to have a few words with you" Haley said, while combing her hair.

"Damn it" Nathan cursed, he knew that James Lucas Scott's first grade teacher was a big NBA-fan and he wanted to know the latest gossip in Los Angeles Lakers rather than the spelling contest James was going to take part in. "The guy is a total pain in the ass."

"Yes, but he is James's teacher" Haley said in a calm voice "and we…."

"As responsible parents, should be involved in every activity the school requires, even if it is for some personal interest" Lucas continued, smiling. It has been 7 years since his best-friend Haley James said yes to her step-brother Nathan Scott and placed a wedding ring in a once-naked finger, still she hadn't changed a bit at all.

"Uncle Luke!!" James screamed as he jumped to hug Lucas. Haley smiled instantly, Lucas had always been a constant figure in their lives, and today was no exception.

"James, come on honey, you've got to go to school." Haley said, no matter what, James had to learn how to be professional, how to leave the loved ones behind when there was a duty to be done.

Nathan and James waved an unhappy goodbye to them as Lucas made himself comfortable at the old sofa remained from the very first days of Naley marriage. Since then, it had experienced a sullen break-up, a Haley-less Nathan trying to find a way, a Haley returning from the mistake she had been in, a marriage renewal, some debt problems and the birth of a beautiful baby-boy who was named after his godfather and uncle, Lucas.

"God, it feels like an elephant is sitting on my face" Lucas mumbled, massaging his neck. Last night had been a big adventure; four nightclubs and two bars and a one-crazy Rachel.

"Really? I thought a cheap whore did." Haley said ironically, pouring coffee to a cup. "Seriously, Lucas, what's wrong with you?" she asked, concerned.

Lucas sighed; he knew that his "current-lifestyle" would be in the newest edition of Haley-news, something that is written in big fonts in the front page.

"Come on, Hales, not again." Lucas sighed once more; he definitely hadn't come here to listen to a lecture about how he should live his life.

"Not again? Lucas, this is not you. Getting drunk, having one night stands, hangovers. What happened to the responsible, mature Lucas Scott?"

"He died, Haley" Lucas snapped, "He had a heart attack and he went right to the grave"

Haley shook her head involuntarily, trying to figure out what to say.

"Sorry Haley, you know what I've been going through." Lucas said, his hands cupping his head.

"You miss Peyton?" Haley asked, surprised, since she was the first one to know about Lucas's real ideas about her, how he was actually very bored of being his husband and how he wanted a divorce.

"No, I mean, for all my life it was Peyton. And now, I want to know what could have been if she wasn't there. What would have been if I was just a normal guy?" Lucas admitted.

"Did you find the answer, then?" Haley asked, she could understand how Lucas felt, she was the one who lost her virginity to her first boyfriend which happened to be her husband. Still, she didn't even wonder what it would be like without him, because it definitely symbolized hell-nothing more.

"I don't know, I really don't know."

He opened the door to an empty apartment he had rented a couple of months ago. First, it was just a plain old place to run away from the usual stress of life, to find some peace after Peyton-mania. Now, it had become his home, since now, he was a divorced man.

Deciding to check out his voicemails, he pressed the flashing button of his phone.

"Hey, Luke. It's Mouth. Tell me that you're coming to that charity event. Please??"

Lucas, stroked his hair. He had totally forgotten about the charity event Mouth's –now, more professionally Marvin McFadden's – boss was throwing. There was going to be the stars of the press as well as celebrities, and in an event like that, the sports-columnist Lucas Scott was considered as a prestigious guest.

Still, he could visualize the list of guests. A little bit of grey-suited businessmen, lots of blonde-haired socialites, huge amounts of celebrities, some sportsmen- like his brother, the shooting guard of Los Angeles Lakers, Nathan Scott- some others and a one Peyton Sawyer who was editing the best-selling magazine throughout the States.

He had been avoiding her since the divorce, her voicemails, her desperate attempts to get together (NOFX?? Who was she kidding, anyways?) and his strict policy of not accepting any invitation to any occasion Peyton was attending was going on great.

Yet, maybe, like Haley said, it was time to communicate with her. It was time for some contact to realize whether his decision had been true or not.

Brooke pulled her mini-skirt down, trying to find an attempt to go back to home and bury her under a blanket to watch some old-chick-flick. Instead, she was starring in the film Peyton Sawyer was directing right now, and she had no idea about how to act…at all.

She was informed about his likes, ("literature and basketball, basically but he is into alternative rock bands and baseball too" Peyton had said) interests and lifestyle ("liked to sleep early at night but obviously not now, practices a lot at gym, quit basketball due to his heart condition") and his history with Peyton. ("Once we were the royalty of Tree Hill High, now we became nothing" Peyton had sighed while burning all the remainders of Lucas in the chimney) She was told to be careful, not to give any hints related to Peyton and use every charming flirt she could on Lucas to seduce him. Yet, despite her wide experiences and wider self-confidence, Brooke didn't know what to do.

Looking around frantically to find a place to hide and lie to Peyton afterwards ("sorry but I couldn't find Lucas, there. I guess he didn't come."); she passed through gathered crowds of laughter and examining eyes. Wherever she went, though, there seemed to be a collective amount of people trying to figure out what the hell she was doing. So, instead, Brooke decided to stick near the bar, trying to look as ordinary as possible and hide behind a Fat-Joe-look-a-like.

"You're hiding from something?"

Brooke turned to a smiling young man with bright blue eyes that suddenly reminded her of an ocean you'd long to drown in. She just smiled, though, while he offered his hand for a shake.

"Lucas Scott."

**A/N:**** God, I'm such a bitch! It didn't suppose to end this way, lol. Still, didn't you love how Lucas spotted our fabulous brunette among the ordinary masses? Wondering what will happen next, how about you??**

**Please review, then, lol**

**See ya **


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